A Haircut for Avery

Yesterday I took Avery for her first professional haircut. Until now, I have always been the one to trim her hair but I decided that it was time for some professional help. I found a salon that specializes in naturally curly hair and made an appointment for her. After some discussion as to how much we should cut (she wanted it bobbed to her ears and I vetoed), we decided that shoulder length hair would be good for now. Avery was excited to go and even more excited when the hair stylist had a bowl of lollipops at her station — a rare treat at 9 a.m.! A little water, several snips with some pink scissors and the deed was done. I happen to think her hair turned out really cute, but then I am slightly biased...

"Ballerinas Don't Wear Diapers"

Just after Christmas I signed Hannah up for a ballet and tumbling class at one of our rec centers. When I told her about it, she was so excited that it was "her turn" to be a ballerina! So, as incentive for potty training, I would remind her that "Ballerinas don't wear diapers!" I am happy to report that Hannah has been without diapers for about 3 weeks now and is doing great! Today was the first day of her classes. She was so excited to get to wear her new leotard and ballet slippers. When we got there, she kissed me and went right in with her teacher. I was able to watch from a window as she got her first lesson on being a real ballerina. I have to say, I can't think of anything cuter than a group of 2 year old girls dressed in tights, leotards and ballet shoes!

A Whole New View

Ethan has officially mastered the art of sitting up on his own. He can now play with his toys better and see more of what's going on around him. It won't be long now before we can ditch his carrier and move him to a big-boy car seat! He's still not really crawling yet, but it won't be long...

A Day At The Lake...In January!

As luck would have it, we ended up with an 8o degree day and decided to spend some time at the lake with some friends and neighbors. The kids fed the ducks, we feasted on hot dogs and even went for a boat ride. We really enjoyed the day - tomorrow the temp is supposed to drop about 40 degrees!

Farewell to 2008

When Jeff and I get up in the mornings, we like to listen to Good Morning America while we are getting ready for our day. All week I have heard the reporters talk about what a bad year 2008 was and how so many people are happy to see it come to an end. I get that the economy is bad, some people have lost their homes, some have lost their jobs, but every time I heard a story like that, it made me sort of sad. I think its pretty depressing to wish that a year of your life would hurry up and come to an end or even that it was a waste all together.

But as I have begun to reflect on my own 2008 (its inevitable), my attitude is changing a bit. Don't get me wrong, I didn't hate my year and never once found myself wishing that it were over but I do think that its not one I would like to repeat. At the beginning of the year, we were fortunate enough to be able to move to our "forever home," a great house where we can raise our kids. And, of course, in June we welcomed our beautiful boy. Avery started kindergarten this year and Hannah started preschool. All of these have been great blessings. But, they have also been a lot of work!

That said, I am really excited about 2009. We are starting to make our house our own, Ethan is leaving that oh-so-trying newborn stage, and next fall Avery and I will better know the ropes for elementary school. We are even already planning a family trip to the beach this summer. There is so much to look forward to!

Christmas Fun!